Kaiping Diaolou Self-Driving Tour Guide (Day 2)

Following the previous article: Kaiping Diaolou Self-Driving Tour Guide (Day 1) Day 1 has already covered Liyuan, Zili Village, and Majianglong. The itinerary for Day 2: Chikan Ancient Town → Zhongjian Tower → Xiangang Town (Huang's Ancestral Hall) → Jinjiangli → Xiangang Town Haoji Claypot Rice (claypot rice cooked over a wood fire) → Xinhui Chenpi Village 📍Chikan Ancient Town The ancient town is about a 1-hour drive from Jiangmen city center. If you go during holidays, try to arrive before noon. Since the parking lot closest to the main entrance of the scenic area was full, we were directed to a nearby parking lot. From there, we had to take a shuttle bus exclusive to the scenic area, which, including the wait and travel time, took about more than 10 minutes. During the holidays, there are many tourists, and the ancient town is divided into paid and free areas, with most being the paid tourist area. There are slightly fewer tourists in the paid area than in the free area. The architecture is all of the Republic of China style, and the whole place feels like a large Republic of China film and television base, complete with trolley cars and tour boats. During the Spring Festival, there are also dragon and lion dance activities, creating a great atmosphere. It's quite suitable for taking photos when there are fewer people. Visiting time: about 2 and a half hours Ticket price: 60 yuan/person 📍Zhongjian Tower On the way from Chikan Ancient Town to Jinjiangli, you will pass the famous Zhongjian Tower, towering on the left side of the road, its robot-like shape is hard to miss. Zhongjian Tower was built in the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918) and has five floors. Each floor of the tower has a waistline, and the top is adorned with Baroque and Gothic styles. The name 'Zhongjian Tower' is inscribed on the building. Currently, the tower is locked and cannot be climbed. Visiting time: about 10 minutes 📍Xiangang Town This place has one of the filming locations for 'The Whirlwind' - Huang's Ancestral Hall. The hall is not large and is free to visit. Nearby, there is a famous claypot rice restaurant. The local specialty is claypot rice cooked on a wood fire stove, which gives it a unique fragrance. Highly recommended to try! Visiting time: about half an hour 📍Jinjiangli Compared to the three diaolous visited on the first day, Jinjiangli is a bit quieter. However, it has the 'Number One Diaolou in Kaiping' - Ruishi Tower, which is the tallest and most artistically valuable diaolou in Kaiping. The nine-story tower cost 30,000 Hong Kong dollars to build, and the materials were all imported from Hong Kong. The tower is a typical residential building with a mix of Ionic, Baroque, Islamic, Byzantine, and other Western architectural styles, while the interior is decorated in traditional Lingnan style. The building combines Eastern and Western architectural styles. Currently, the tower is privately owned, and an additional fee must be paid to the owner, an elderly gentleman, who will also enthusiastically provide explanations and take photos. Jinjiangli is built along the river, with a river embankment slightly above ground level along the riverbank. Sitting on the stone benches facing the dusk and enjoying the village's beautiful scenery fills one with an inexplicable sense of happiness. Visiting time: about 1 hour 📍Xinhui Chenpi Village On the way back, we made a special trip to Xinhui Chenpi Village. Xinhui's dried tangerine peel is famous nationwide. Chenpi Village is more like a wholesale market for dried tangerine peel, with various products such as small green mandarins, dried tangerine peel candy, dried tangerine peel tortoise jelly, and so on. It's a good place to buy gifts for friends and family.